Suffering Shapes Our Stories

Suffering shapes our stories. 

It doesn’t define us, but it certainly changes us. Without it, we would not be the same. 

Though we would rarely choose to travel the road of suffering, it is often that very road that leads us to a destination we could not have reached any other way–or at least not with the same heart, compassion, and faith that we have when we arrive.  

When we look at the heroes and heroines of Scripture, we see this thread of truth woven through every one of their stories. The element that stands out so vividly in each story is their suffering. It is the refining fire, the prison cell, the wandering, and the waiting that make the stories so strong. 

Because we know them so well, we can see how their stories—and the impact of their lives—would be so different if the element of suffering were absent.  

What would Abraham’s story be if he had never been asked to leave his homeland? 

What about Jacob, if he had never wrestled with an angel? 

What about Joseph, if he had never been thrown into that pit? 

What would Moses’ story be without 40 years in the wilderness? 

What would the Israelites’ story be if there had been no years of bondage? 

What about Hannah, if her tears had no need to fall? 

What about David, if there had been no Goliath? 

And Esther? What if she had chosen to be queen for her own sake? 

Would there be a book of Job if he had never lost everything? 

What would Ruth’s story be if she had never known grief? 

And, what about Mary, mother of Jesus, if she had already wed Joseph before the angel visited her? 

How would Peter’s story change if he never suffered the shame of denying his Lord? 

What about Paul, if he had never known the confines of prison walls? 

And what of our beloved, Jesus? Is there even a Savior without the cross? 

What of the resurrection? Would the joy of Easter Sunday be felt as deeply if there had never been the suffering of Friday and the silence of Saturday?

Each story we cherish and know so well is touched by the brushstroke of pain. Without it, the picture painted in scripture—and in our hearts—would not be the same. It is in the brokenness, in the darkness of pain, that redemption seems to shine brightest. 

Why should our own story be any different? Scripture is honest and clear: in this world, we will have suffering. It is part of our story. 

But, so is hope! 

And so we keep walking—through every valley, trusting through every trial, being shaped through every painful experience—to become more like Christ, the One who suffered to bring salvation.  

Suffering does, indeed, shape our stories. But our God—faithful, purposeful, and merciful—redeems every chapter.